Machine for affixing stamps.



E. H. HOTGHKISS & C. BEACH.

MACHINE FOB. 'AFFIXING STAMPS. APBLIGATION FILED MAY 24, 1909.

Patented 0G13. 12, 1909.

WlTNESSES' ATTORNEY mnnew, E Gamm no.. vuoto-musulmans mamma, n. c.

ELI HUBBELL HoTcHKIss, oF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT,

AND CHARLES BEACH, 0F

cATsKILL, yNew Yoitx.

MACHINE FOR AFFIXING STAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern.'

.Be it known that We, (1) ELI HUBBELL Ho'rcHKIss and (2) CHARLES BEACH, citizens'of the United States, residingr at (l),` Norwalk, county of Fairfield, State of Con necticut, and (2) Catskill, county' of Greene,: State of. New York, respectively, have iny vented an Improvement in Machines for Afp xing Stamps, of which the following is a specification. u

This invention has for its object to provide' a simple and inexpensive hand operated machine for feeding stamps into position to be,y affixed to a moistened envelop or card; the machine being provided with means .for moistening the card or envelop, with means for feeding the stamps singly into position to be affixed and with means for retaining the stamp in place while pressureV is appliedl to the moistened envelop or card, thereby; avoiding the necessity for moistcning either. the stamp or the article to which it is applied with the mouth and the machine requiring but little room on a desk and being so inexpensive to produce as to place it within the reach of all. f p

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements and com-p` binations which will be hereinafter de`v scribed and then specifically pointed out in` the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawingforming ai part of this specification, Figure 1 is a planl view of our novel machine complete; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;` and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3`3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

10 denotes the frame of our novel machine which may be made of metal, wood, hard rubber, vulcanized ber or any suitable material.

11 denotes a shaft mounted to rotate only in bearings 12, and 13 denotes a shaft mounted to both rotate and slide at right angles to its axis in bearings 14 on the frame. These shafts are shown as provided with hand wheels 15 for convenience in manipulation and with belt pulleys 16 which may or may not be connected by a crossed elastic lbelt 17, so that the rotation of one shaft will be communicated to the other. Shaft 11 carries a Y stronger than roller or drum 18 and shaft 13 carries a roller or drum 19.

2O denotes a strip of textile or other suitable material, which may or may not be covered with paraffin and the ends of which are attached to the respective shafts in any suitable'manner as by being inserted in slots 42 in the drums. The strip passes from drum 18 over a cross cross rods may or may not be provided with rollers, as preferred.`

23 denotes springs which are secured to the Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed May 24, 1909. Serial No. 497,872.

rod 21, then over a cross rod f 22 and then to drum 19. The

frame and bear against the inner side of i' shaft 13, and 24 denotes a spring-controlled plate which bears upon the port-ion of strip 2O that is wound upon drum 19. This plate is provided with arms 25 which are pivoted on studs 26 extending from the frame, and 27 denotes springs rigidly secured to said studs from which they extend upward and are provided with hooked ends 28 which engage arms 25 and act to press plate 2l; against the winding of the strip on drum 19. It will be noted that springs 23 and spring controlled plate 24 act inward in opposite directions but springs 23 are slightly p springs 27 so that springs 23 will force the 19 against roller 22 and said parts will co-act to retain shaft 13 and drum 19 yieldingly in operative position, so that the drum is self-adjusting relatively to cross rod 22 dcpending upon the amount of the strip that 1s wound on the drum. At the right end of the machine as shown in the drawing and contiguous to cross rod 22 is a table 29 which receives stamps as they are delivered by strip 20. In the present instance this table comprises a plate which is secured to the frame and is provided on opposite sides with overhanging edges, indicated by 30. On opposite sides of the table are recesses 31 and at the lfrcntof the table, as seen from the right. in Figs. 1 and 2, is a slot 32 in the frame. Partly surrounding the table is a springcontrolled guard 33. This guard is shown as made from sheet metal and as resting upon springs 34 which bear upon the bottoms of recesses 31 and act to hold the guard in theraised position as in Fig. 3. The inner sides of the guards are shown as providedl with flanges 35 which engage the over- 4hanging edges of the table and limit the upward movement of the guard. The side of the guard toward the front of the machine, the right as seen in Fig. 2, is a plate 3G which is adapted to pass down into slot 32 in the frame. The three sides of t-he guard together with the table form a pocket indicated by 37 into which the stamps, indicated by 13, are delivered when drum 19 is rotated backward.

39 denotes a suitable moistening device which is placed on the left side of the machine'at the front. This moistening device may be of any ordinary or preferred construction; In the present instance, we have shown a cup 110, which may be made of metal Yor any suitable material-and attached to the frame, for carrying a sponge indicated by 41 orl any suitable Vpad that will absorb moisture;

The'operat-ion is as follows: To load the machin-e, strip 20 is first wound on drum 18, with the exception of a single ply which is left upon drum 19. The stamps are separated andare placed singly, with the adhesive sideupward, upon the strip, in the opening indicated by 38, between cross rod 22 and the winding of the strip on drinn 19. As the stamps are placed in the opening the strip isl wound on drum 19 leaving the vsta-Inps lying between the plies of the strip and wound with iton drum 19. In atiixing stamps,drum l18 is rotated for-ward to wind the rst-rip thereon and drum 19 is rotated backward to expel a stamp which is carried by the strip over cross piece Q2 and deposited in the pocket. The corners of the envelops or cards to which stamps are to be affixed are moistened,l the address side being held downward, and then the moistened portion of the envelop orcardis placed upon the guard over the pocket and pressed downward, the guard'yieldingl and the moistened portion of the envelop or card coming in contact with theadhesive side of the stamp which is held by lthe -table and pressed to place. Should two or :more `stamps be required upon an envelop, a sufficient portion of the address sidefis moistened by being passed over the moistening device and the required number of stamps are successively expelled into the pocket `and afxed in place in the manner described. The winding upon drum 19 will always be held by springs. 23 in engagement with. cross rod 22,l and springs 27 will' co-act with plate 2st and springs 23 in retaining shaft 13 and drum 19 in operative position.

Ifl preferred, the drums 19 may be furnished independently of the machine with the strip wound thereon and containingV a predetermined number of stamps. Where the drums are sold separately the strips may be made of paper and the drums or rolls of stamps may be sold for but little more than the-cost of the stamps. In `using the detachabledrums, when a drum: is exhausted shaft 18 is removed. a new drum attached thereto and the end of the strip is passed about cross rods 22 and Q1 and attached to drum 1H, the operation being as before,

Having thus described our invention we claim z- 1. A machine for atiixing stamps con'iprising a rotatable drum, a strip wound thereon and adapted to carry separated stamps, a pocket into which stamps are expelled by rotation of the drum with the adhesive side upward, a spring-controlled guard about the pocket and a moistening device, envelops to be stamped being first moistened and then pressed upon the guard which yields and permits the moistened surface to engage the adhesive side of the stamp in the pocket. 2. A machine for atiixing stamps comprising a rotatable drinn, a strip wound thereon and adapted to carry separated stamps, a pocket into which stamps are expelled by rotationof the drum with the adhesive side upward, and a spring controlled guard about the pocket.

3. A machine for atiixing stamps comprising a drum, a strip wound thereon and adapted to carry separated stamps, a shaft by which the drum is carried, bearings in which said shaft may rotate and slide at rightl angles to its axis, means for yieldingly retaining the shaft and drum `in operative position, a pocket into which stamps are expelled by rotation of the drum with the adhesive side upward, a spriiig-controlled guard about the pocket and a moistcning device.

4. A machine for atiixing stamps comprising a drum, a strip wound thereon and adapted to carry separated stamps, a shaft by which the drum is carried, bearings in whichlsaid shaft may rotate and slide at right angles to its axis, a spri11g-controlled plate bearing on the winding on the drum, springs of slightly greater power bearing on the shaft inthe opposite direction, a pocket into which stamps are expelled by the rotation ofthe drum and a spring-controlled guard about the pocket.

A machine for aiiixing stamps comprisinga'drum, a strip wound thereon and adapted to carry separated stamps, a shaft bv which the drum is carried, bearings in ywhich said shaft may rotate and slide at right angles to its axis, a cross rod over which the strip passes, a second drum on which .the strip is wound, means for retaining thewinding` on the first drum in engagement with the cross rod, a pocket into which stamps are expelled by rotation of the first drum and a spring-controlled guard about the pocket.

6. A machine for aiiixing stamps comprisinge-two shafts, drums carried thereby, a strip whose ends are connected to said drums and which is adapted yto be drawn from one drum to the other, a stamp pocket contigu ous to one of saidrdrums and a yielding guard about said pocket.

7. A machine for aflixing stamps comprising two shafts, drums carried thereby, a strip whose ends are connected to said drums and which is adapted to be drawn from one drum to the other, bearings in which the rst shaft may rotate and slide at rightangles to its axis, bearings in which the second shaft rotates only, a cross rod contiguous to the lirst drum over which the strip passes, means for retaining the winding on the first drum in engagement with the cross rod, a stamp pocket contiguous to said cross rod, and a yielding guardabout said pocket.

8. A machine for aliixing stamps comprising two shafts, drums carried thereby, a strip whose ends are connected to said drums and which is adapted to be drawn from one drum to the other, one of said shafts being adapted to both rotate and to slide at right angles to its axis, a cross rod over which the strip passes, means for retaining the winding in engagement with the cross rod, a stamp pocket contiguous to the cross rod and a yielding guard about said pocket.

9. A machine for afixing stamps comprising a drum, a strip adapted to be wound thereon, a shaft by which the drum is carried and which is adapted to both rotate and to slide at right angles to its axis, springs bearing on the shaft to move the shaft and drum in one direction, a spring-controlled plate bearing on the Winding to move the drum and shaft in the opposite direction, a cross rod engaged by the winding, a stamp pocket contiguous to said rod and a yielding guard about said pocket.

10. A machine for aliixing stamps comprising a drum, a strip adapted to be wound thereon, a shaft by which the drum is carried and which is adapted to both rotate and to slide at right angles to its axis, a cross rod over which the winding passes, means for retaining the winding in engagement with the rod, a table contiguous to said rod, a guard about the table and springs acting to hold the guard raised whereby a stamp pocket is formed by the guard and the table.

11. A machine for afxing stamps comprising a drum, a strip adapted to be wound thereon, a shaft by which the drum is carried and which is adapted to both rotate and to slide at right angles to its axis, a cross rod over which the Winding passes, means for retaining the winding in engagement with the rod, a table contiguous to said rod and having overhanging edges, a guard about the table having flanges engaging said edges to limit the upward movement and springs acting to raise the guard.

12. A machine for affxmg stamps comprising drums, shafts by which the drums are carried one of which is movable at right angles to its axis, a strip whose ends are connected to the drums and which is adapted to be wound from one to the other, a cross rod over which the strip passes, means for retaining the winding on one of the drums in engagement with the cross rod, a stamp pocket contiguous to said rod and a springcontrolled guard about the pocket.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures, in presence of two Witnesses.

E. HUBBELL HOTCHKISS. CHARLES BEACH.

Witnesses for E. Hubbell Hotchkiss:

A. M. WoosTER,

S. W. ATHER'roN. Witnesses for Charles Beach:

A. K. BROKAW, J. D. MALEY. 

